Blog 8

I picked an image of Michael Jordan because for me, as I grew up in a predominantly white town, the only contact I had with African American culture was through black athletes.  And like most kids I knew when I was growing up, Jordan was my favorite athlete and my hero.  I think that African-American athletes are a good representation of African-American culture because they are some of the most notable people in pop culture today and because they represent the syncretism that has historically categorized African-American culture.  Although African Americans didn't invent basketball, they developed their own unique style of play that was something all their own.  In addition, since they are so notable, African-American athletes are trend setters not only in African-American culture, but in American culture in general.  This can be seen in this picture as Jordan is holding one of his signature shoes that, over the years, have become wildly popular among all races in America.